Streaming Film: How to
Serve Our Users
Cheryl Cross, Christine Fischer,
Cathy Rothermel
14 March 2014
The University of North Carolina at
Greensboro
 Public university, established 1891
 14,000 undergraduates
 3,000 graduate students
 77 master’s programs; 28 doctoral
programs
 Carnegie Foundation classification
Research University with High Research
Activity
uncg.libguides.com/streamingfilms
Student Experience with Streaming
• Online streaming – Netflix, Amazon Prime
• Easy access – 24/7 availability
• Increased use of electronic devices for
viewing
Working with Faculty
• Using streaming resources already in our
collection
• More online courses
• More use of flipped classroom model
Working Out The Details
•
•
•
•
•
Information from faculty
Timing and advanced planning
Contact Acquisitions Department
Order physical DVD
Acquire streaming rights
Streaming Film Issues
Courses offered online
Rights to foreign feature films
Low response rate from distributors
Prefer to use the whole film, not just
segments
 Funding
 Tracking rights




Some Answers & Decisions




Gather the right people
Contact experts
Pilot an effort to see outcomes
Make policy decisions
Posted on the Streaming Films LibGuide
Library Policy
The library will help facilitate the
acquisition of streaming film rights ONLY
when the purchase is for perpetual
ownership of the streaming film.
Any acquisitions of streaming films will
be purchased through the department's
material budget.
In light of restricted budgets, if the
streaming film isn't available for
permanent ownership then the library
will attempt to direct the faculty member
toward resources for pricing and
purchasing options.
Distributor streaming details –
ordering options
Providing Access to the Video
Files
Considerations
 Where to host the files
 How do the students access the files
 Must be compliant with the terms of
our agreement with the copyright
holder
Youtube
 Users can download the video easily
and save the file
 Even if it is set to ‘unlisted’ users can
still share the link
 Can be set to ‘private’ but have to predefine users in a list
 Not secure enough to comply with
usage terms for copyrighted material
Google Drive
 Can limit users to just people at UNCG
with the link – (even with the link, have to
login)
 Have to login to Blackboard to access
 Can set to prevent downloading of the file
 Meets the requirements of our streaming
agreements
Students Access in Blackboard
 Consistency - Video is available in the
same place as other course content
 Security - Protected behind the
Blackboard login
Processing the Files
 Convert the file from the DVD to a file
that can be streamed
 Deliver the file to the instructor
 Instructor embeds the video in
Blackboard
Rip the DVD
 Handbrake: Open source video
transcoder
 VLC Player
 And this file: libdvdcss.dll
 Creates an MP4 file
Host on Google Drive
 Upload MP4 file to
Google Drive
 Share with setting:
‘People at UNCG who
have the link’
 Set to ‘Prevent
viewers from
downloading’
 Share file with
instructor and transfer
ownership
Blackboard
• Instructor obtains embed code from Google
Drive
• Embeds the file in the Blackboard course as
an Item under Web Links
Videos from External Providers
• We use an in house proxy server to access
streaming videos from outside
distributers
• Add as a Web Link in Blackboard with the
proxy URL
Links
• Handbrake:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/handbra
ke/files/
• VLC Player:
http://www.videolan.org/vlc/index.html
has link to this file: libdvdcss.dll
A related issue…PPR
• Not required
– Watching film in own home (dorm)
– Showing a film face-to-face in classroom
• Public Performance Rights
– For groups other than a class
– Where public could attend
• Educational rights
– On campus
– Offered with many instructional films
Thank you!
Cheryl Cross
cacross@uncg.edu
Christine Fischer cmfische@uncg.edu
Cathy Rothermel carother@uncg.edu